diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/java/akka/dispatch/AbstractMailbox.java b/akka-actor/src/main/java/akka/dispatch/AbstractMailbox.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..541f64da95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/java/akka/dispatch/AbstractMailbox.java
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2011 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+
+package akka.dispatch;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicIntegerFieldUpdater;
+
+abstract class AbstractMailbox {
+    private volatile int _status = Mailbox.Idle();
+    protected static AtomicIntegerFieldUpdater<AbstractMailbox> updater = AtomicIntegerFieldUpdater.newUpdater(AbstractMailbox.class, "_status");
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
index 72ab6c1ccd..2788d58e11 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/dispatch/Mailbox.scala
@@ -26,21 +26,15 @@ private[dispatch] object Mailbox {
   // secondary status: Idle or Suspended plus Scheduled
   final val Scheduled = 3
   final val ScheduledSuspended = 4 // may only happen for system message processing
-
-  //private[Mailbox] val mailboxStatusUpdater = AtomicReferenceFieldUpdater.newUpdater[Mailbox, Status](classOf[Mailbox], classOf[Status], "_status")
 }
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="http://jonasboner.com">Jonas Bon&#233;r</a>
  */
-abstract class Mailbox extends MessageQueue with SystemMessageQueue with Runnable {
+abstract class Mailbox extends AbstractMailbox with MessageQueue with SystemMessageQueue with Runnable {
   import Mailbox._
-  /*
-   * Internal implementation of MessageDispatcher uses these, don't touch or rely on
-   */
-  private[dispatch] val _status: AtomicInteger = new AtomicInteger(Idle) //Must be named _status because of the updater
 
-  final def status: Mailbox.Status = _status.get() //mailboxStatusUpdater.get(this)
+  final def status: Mailbox.Status = AbstractMailbox.updater.get(this)
 
   final def isActive: Boolean = status match {
     case Idle | Scheduled ⇒ true
@@ -60,13 +54,21 @@ abstract class Mailbox extends MessageQueue with SystemMessageQueue with Runnabl
     case _                              ⇒ false
   }
 
+  @inline
+  protected final def updateStatus(oldStatus: Status, newStatus: Status): Boolean =
+    AbstractMailbox.updater.compareAndSet(this, oldStatus, newStatus)
+
+  @inline
+  protected final def setStatus(newStatus: Status): Unit =
+    AbstractMailbox.updater.set(this, newStatus)
+
   /**
    * Internal method to enforce a volatile write of the status
    */
   @tailrec
   final def acknowledgeStatus() {
-    val s = _status.get()
-    if (_status.compareAndSet(s, s)) ()
+    val s = status
+    if (updateStatus(s, s)) ()
     else acknowledgeStatus()
   }
 
@@ -76,41 +78,40 @@ abstract class Mailbox extends MessageQueue with SystemMessageQueue with Runnabl
    */
   @tailrec
   final def become(newStatus: Status): Boolean = {
-    import _status.{ compareAndSet ⇒ CAS, set ⇒ SET }
     newStatus match {
       case Idle ⇒
         status match {
-          case s @ (Idle | Scheduled) ⇒ if (CAS(s, s)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case s @ Suspended          ⇒ if (CAS(s, Idle)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case s @ ScheduledSuspended ⇒ if (CAS(s, Scheduled)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case Closed                 ⇒ SET(Closed); false
+          case s @ (Idle | Scheduled) ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, s)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case s @ Suspended          ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Idle)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case s @ ScheduledSuspended ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Scheduled)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case Closed                 ⇒ setStatus(Closed); false
         }
       case Suspended ⇒
         status match {
-          case s @ (Suspended | ScheduledSuspended) ⇒ if (CAS(s, s)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case s @ Idle                             ⇒ if (CAS(s, Suspended)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case s @ Scheduled                        ⇒ if (CAS(s, ScheduledSuspended)) true else become(newStatus)
-          case Closed                               ⇒ SET(Closed); false
+          case s @ (Suspended | ScheduledSuspended) ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, s)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case s @ Idle                             ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Suspended)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case s @ Scheduled                        ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, ScheduledSuspended)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case Closed                               ⇒ setStatus(Closed); false
         }
       case Closed ⇒
         status match {
-          case Closed ⇒ SET(Closed); false
-          case s      ⇒ if (CAS(s, Closed)) true else become(newStatus)
+          case Closed ⇒ setStatus(Closed); false
+          case s      ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Closed)) true else become(newStatus)
         }
     }
   }
 
   @tailrec
   final def setAsScheduled(): Boolean = status match {
-    case s @ Idle      ⇒ if (_status.compareAndSet(s, Scheduled)) true else setAsScheduled()
-    case s @ Suspended ⇒ if (_status.compareAndSet(s, ScheduledSuspended)) true else setAsScheduled()
+    case s @ Idle      ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Scheduled)) true else setAsScheduled()
+    case s @ Suspended ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, ScheduledSuspended)) true else setAsScheduled()
     case _             ⇒ false
   }
 
   @tailrec
   final def setAsIdle(): Boolean = status match {
-    case s @ Scheduled          ⇒ if (_status.compareAndSet(s, Idle)) true else setAsIdle()
-    case s @ ScheduledSuspended ⇒ if (_status.compareAndSet(s, Suspended)) true else setAsIdle()
+    case s @ Scheduled          ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Idle)) true else setAsIdle()
+    case s @ ScheduledSuspended ⇒ if (updateStatus(s, Suspended)) true else setAsIdle()
     case s                      ⇒ acknowledgeStatus(); false
   }